President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive overhaul of Nigerian football, aimed at addressing the structural and administrative weaknesses blamed for the country’s repeated failures to qualify for major regional, continental and global tournaments.

The President said the reform should strengthen governance, stakeholder representation, player development, domestic competitions and accountability across the sector.

“Football, Nigeria’s most popular sport and the greatest beneficiary of public support, investment and national attention, has continued to struggle basically due to structural deficits within the system,” he said.

He noted that other sports had made progress following the reset of the sector under the re-established National Sports Commission, stressing that football could no longer remain constrained by institutional weaknesses.

The President urged Nigerians and football stakeholders to support the transition, saying the reforms would help build a stronger, more transparent and accountable system capable of translating Nigeria’s football potential into sustained domestic and international success.